The Joker (Anthony Newley song)

"The Joker" is a song by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, from the 1964 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd.^[1]

Plot

The song is a lament of a person, seen by the outside world as a jester and a comedian especially when they fail, who inwardly feels tremendous pain. The person ultimately accepts their fate, noting that someone is in the same position in every society. In the musical, the song—sung by the lead, Cocky (played by Newley in the original American production)—leads into the Act One closer, "Who Can I Turn To?"

Recordings

Anthony Newley, on the original cast recording
Sammy Davis Jr., on the album Sammy's Back On Broadway (1965)
Bobby Rydell, on the TV show Shindig!
Sérgio Mendes, on the album Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66 (1966)
Wes Montgomery, on the album A Day In The Life (1967)
Shirley Bassey, on the album This Is My Life (1968)
Jackie Trent and Tony Hatch, on the album The Two of Us (1968)
Fred Travalena, as a lip-sync performance on the 1989 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (in character as the DC Comics villain of the same name)
Mark Trevorrow, on the album It's About Time (2004)
Gina Riley, for the opening theme to the Australian sitcom Kath & Kim, the full recording of which appeared on the soundtrack album Kath & Kim's Party Tape (2004)
Lady Gaga, on the album Harlequin (2024), a companion album to the film Joker: Folie à Deux (2024)^[2]

References

^ The Ultimate Broadway Fake Book (Songbook) 1458489515 Hal Leonard Corp. - 1984 - ... Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley PRODUCER: David Merrick with Bernard Delfont DIRECTOR: Anthony Newley ... The show's rich score contained 14 songs, many of which became standards including “The Joker,” “Feeling Good,” ...
^ Kaufman, Gil (September 25, 2024). "Lady Gaga gives the Mona Lisa a sinister smile in preview of rocking new Harlequin song "The Joker"". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.

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[1] The Ultimate Broadway Fake Book (Songbook) 1458489515 Hal Leonard Corp. - 1984 - ... Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley PRODUCER: David Merrick with Bernard Delfont DIRECTOR: Anthony Newley ... The show's rich score contained 14 songs, many of which became standards including “The Joker,” “Feeling Good,” ...

[2] Kaufman, Gil (September 25, 2024). "Lady Gaga gives the Mona Lisa a sinister smile in preview of rocking new Harlequin song "The Joker"". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 25, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2024.

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